Han Empire
|name = Han Empire|kanji = 漢帝国|romaji = Kan Teikoku'|nickname(s) = Iron Cloud Empire (鉄雲帝国, Tetsugumo Teikoku)|ruler(s) = Ika Akasaru|location = Illan Yaska|population = 4,890,000|ruling family = Various|government = Autocratic Government|global status = Neutral}} The Han Empire (漢帝国, Kan Teikoku), is an imperialistic empire and society located in the far eastern region of Earth Land, maintaining itself isolated from contact in a remote location. Created by several warrior clans in the year X115, more than 690 years ago, it established itself as an independent nation isolated from the the rest of the world. Unlike most other kingdoms in Earth Land, the nation of Han is made up of a coalition of defeated kingdoms, royal families, and conquered lands that the empire had acquired through the course of its inception for countless centuries, resulting in them being absorbed and assimilated into the Han Empire. As such, it exists as an aggregation of nations and people made solely of contiguous territories unified as a single-minded government, that is, from the moment it was founded, the empire as a whole consists of over 120 royal families that function as unified powers, all of which are under the disposal of the emperor. Even after its founding centuries ago, it still functions as a territorial empire, using conquest to dominate the majority of the neighboring lands while keeping them in line with pure military power. However, with the reign of the 52nd emperor, the Han Empire’s warpath has since been rebuked and replaced with a state of civic peace in regard to other territories, with most of the dominant members of the empire’s ruling class being part of continuous power struggles and political intrigue against the other families for dominance, resulting in the empire following the basic principles of feudalism rather than a democracy or monarchy, transforming it into an empire that decides its leaders based on power, status, and influence. Held together by a very powerful structure and iron-clad rules, the Han Empire is controlled by a single emperor that is unanimously elected by all the noble families that reside there, with the 86th emperor of the kingdom being the current leader in the year X806. Localization Geography Located to the farthest regions of Earth Land, away from most other kingdoms and populated cities, Han is an eastern empire surrounded by numerous mountains across its vicinity, encompassing it in the form of a large dome, as well as being supported by numerous stone walls built along the mountain trail. Using the environment's natural shape and form, during early construction of the location for the empire, most of the mountains were built up using magic, bolstering their natural shape and size to monumental proportions, with the mountain range running around the main valley growing along the largest part of it. The highest mountain located in the nearest vicinity stands at an astonishing 36,000 ft., being regarded as the tallest mountain in the Isvan continent, as well as the largest iron ore deposit in Earth Land, with the entirety of the mountain containing one of the largest reserves of minerals and metal veins around, infamously known as the Iron Cloud Empire (鉄雲帝国, Tetsugumo Teikoku) due to the mountain going past even the highest clouds in the sky. As such, Han’s royal palace has been built at the very summit while the towns and living quarters for the most of it’s inhabitants being located along the lower rings of the mountain, as well as the base. In each of these rings, checkpoints are placed in order to separate the numerous classes along away from the other parts of the mountain leading to the peak, being reserved for royalty and those with political influence. On the ground level, the vast majority of the mountains and space surrounding the area around it is covered in a densely lush forest, making the mountains heavily forested, while around them lies flat lands near them also sporting many fertile grounds for farming. It is around these areas that they sport the vast majority of towns and cities for cultivation. With such a heavy marsh of stone and forest, the outer edges of the empire uplift toward the sky, creating numerous ledges and hills, scattering about as clear plains, with a rather lengthy basin located at the farthest parts. On the areas beyond the steep mountain range lies a series of deep valleys and gorges with running rivers going straight through them, making it the main method of income for water along the coast to the southern end of the kingdom. At the epicenter, around the base of the largest mountain, the terrain in that specific location has been worked on for countless centuries, resulting in it being flat and even leveled, making it suitable for human habitation and the transportation of goods be it on foot or vehicles. On the other hand, around the mountainsides, countless dams and mines have been carved into the mountain, running large veins into the heart of the mountain, using the excess rock and stone obtained to pave new flat areas for housing along the upper areas along the face of the mountain. A special river runs across the entire tip of the kingdom’s peek, a result of the accumulation of water that is stored at the top, running more than 460 kilometers in length while providing water for the denizens stationed in the upper middle regions. It is thanks to this that there is no need for the complete transport of supplies along the districts, mainly attributed to the accumulation of clouds and rainfall hitting the the top the majority of the time. With the base of the mountain, a total of 3,230,010 (83%) of the people that reside in the Han Empire live along the ground level, being housed along the innumerable towns and communities that make the working class, leaving roughly 889,990 (17%) of the rest of the kingdom’s denizens to reside along the mountain, being reserved for the various royal families and influential individuals, commonly in the form of the district rulers or the council committee. In the vast western reaches regions of the empire’s domain, beyond the mountains, a large desert makes up a larger aspect of the landscape beyond the Han borders, swaying over the land with numerous sand slopes into broad plains and deltas that inhabit large creatures as an extra measure of defense. Named as the Yibo Desert (佚波砂漠, Yìbō Shāmò; lit. “Desert of Lost Waves”), the sand and extremely dry climate extends to the farthest reaches of Han’s western region, consuming the land with nothing but prolonged drought and dust storms with the capacity to injure anyone inside it. It is widely known that the desert itself is the only known route into the empire, with all other routes being sealed off by either the monumental trail of mountain walls or the natural environment impeding their path. With a single road leading in and out of the desert and into the empire, it is closely guarded by soldiers, while the rest of the desert is inhabited by all manner of magical beasts and monsters. In terms of the Han Empire’s climate, it varies between locations—along the Northern side of the empire, naturally obscured by the mountain’s shadow, the climate is very mild, making it well balanced between hot and cold at the base of the city. However, for the royal capital located on the mountainside, located above cloud level, it is constantly pouring down rain, with temperatures dropping to as low as 7°F during the night, and even further during winter or higher elevation one travels along the mountain’s peak. However, due to centuries of exposure and acclimatization to harsh environment, most of the resident situating themselves in the mountain towns are well accustomed to the extreme elevations and low temperatures found at that height, making it a sign that the only the strongest can reside in such a place so high up in the heavens. Empire Layout Power Structure As an imperialistic government with numerous kingdoms and territories under its heel, the Han Empire divides its powers accordingly based on the number of territories it has by using its militia to keep them in line. For the most part, this is implemented by the hierarchy they follow, or the chain-of-command established by the emperor, with certain individuals being responsible with upholding the empire’s laws and rules. As such, the royal council, a special sect of the government working directly under the emperor, is personally held responsible with overseeing the wellbeing of its citizens in and out of the empire’s borders, ensuring that the peace and order of the emperor’s domain remains intact. This is where the council’s members play an important role in how they govern such a tremendous country; for the most part, the council is comprised of special members that serve the emperor in the form of advisors and his eyes and ears, being the very force that interpret his will in how, where, and which direction the empire will go when decisions are made. Using a ranking system that safely divides how much power each member possesses, as well as the degree of influence they can exert, they comprise a group of nine prolific government officials, representing the very best of the best in each of their respectful fields. Consisting of three shoguns, six daimyos, and several elite samurai at the council’s beck and call, each of they excell at an aspect of dominance in regards to controlling the numerous provinces, kingdoms, and royal families that make up the empire’s territory. At the very bottom of this system, warriors of specific focus that had garnered the interest or respect of council members were given a special rank even among the pre existing array of foot soldiers in the militia, it was the unique privilege given to the Han Empire’s greatest warriors in the form of the samurai rank, the private army of Daimyo that was made up of elite warriors. For the most part, these were soldiers or residents in the empire who, by some special service or at the time have proved themselves superior among others, were single-handedly being the very top fighters and swordsmen to exist among the military ranks in the entirety of the Han’s army. Given the very highest degree of influence and extra privileges that could possibly be attained for soldiers, their elevated social status is said to rival even the most distinguished of royal families, earning them a seat alongside the council as their private bodyguards or “hands”, existing to serve according to the orders of the Daimyo. This often translates to them serving as vassals for them during travel, while at the same time keeping themselves busy with all sort of duties and responsibilities associated with them maintaining their militant position on matters involving them to eliminate enemies, protect important politicians, and overall resolve issues in and outside the empire that would normally be too difficult for ordinary soldiers. On the other hand, when talking about the daimyos themselves, they are placed at a very prestigious position in the empire latter, constituting their rule as feudal lords tasked with governing the multiple territories and sectors scattered throughout the empire’s private lands, being completely independent to do whatever they desire with the exception of being subordinate only to the Shoguns. As one of the three royal ranks that can only be given exclusively from the emperor himself, it is regarded as the 2nd highest seat of power awarded, that in most instances is inherited by most citizens belonging to a notable family or high ranking officers in the militia, such as from the ranks of the samurai, notably through years of service and recognized honors. Functioning as political figures representing the scattered areas across the country, the six current daimyo task themselves with keeping citizens and the 120 noble houses of Han from killing one another, using numerous squads of soldiers and their elite samurai to preserve the peace and uphold the law, all the while guarding their land and collecting taxes on a monthly basis. It should be noted that it is the shogun themselves that are given the unique responsibility of keeping outsiders and non-natives from entering the empire. But out of the all the ranks attainable, the title of shogun is heralded as being single-handedly the highest achievement one can obtain as a member of the Han Empire, representing an absolute authority that is second only to the emperor himself. Standing near the very top of government hierarchy, there are currently only three known shogun that occupy this rank, each of which are renowned for having in their possession as series of skills and abilities that renders them as the top three fighters in Han, personally being acknowledged by the emperor for having made significant contributions to the empire itself. What truly separates them from the rest of the samurai of soldiers that comprise the royal army is the simple fact that each of the shogun are skilled masters in a type of sword-related combat, as well as being distinguished practitioners in the art of the Undrawn Long Sword Style and Sword Magic. When responsibilities are called into question, the shoguns control at least 30% of the majority territories provided to them in the form of districts, towns, and cities, having at their control countless hundreds of thousands of soldiers at their immediate disposition. By right, they are established rulers of their respective regions, holding with it an undisputed, almost absolute power over their territories through military means, going unchallenged in their right to rule. Aside from being entitled to authority, the number of benefits and level of influence they have goes unopposed, equating to a military rank roughly equivalent to a general, rendering them one of, if not, the utmost highest grade of commanders. By even distribution, each shogun is the parliamentary chief of two daimyos, with the three of them being responsible with fulfilling their duties of administration, either in the context of handling matters that are directly occurring or are related to matters involving the empire on the inside or, in rarer cases, relating to foreign affairs with other countries/kingdoms. In this context, the office of the shogun eventually turns from a military title to that of an imperial status equivalent to that of a viceroy or governor-general, facilitating their ability to mediate relations with neighboring governments by traveling as accredited diplomats sent to represent the Han Empire in place of the emperor. Capital City The totality of the Han Empire is commonly as a whole is separated into 480 districts, with each of the royal families being entitled to govern three at a given time in order to ensure, evenly distributing them across the empire in the form of 12 prefectures, each containing 40 districts along with a number of clans entitled to rule in that region. With such a gargantuan space to support numerous kingdoms, as well as a monumental mountain to house/carry the capital city, it is capable of building entire towns and cities on its borders, functioning as a means to separate the prefectures based on the empire’s elevation along the mountain centered in the middle of the country. At ground level, with an elevation of 0 ft., most of the citizens of ordinary birth reside there, working as artisans, farmers, and servants, effectively making them peasants in service to those at the higher prefectures. Regardless of who resides in the prefecture, each of them is tasked with a specific job, each contributing to the welfare and prosperity of the empire, with the districts inside distributing all types of jobs and professions that transfer over monthly taxes. In terms of geographical spacing between territories inside the empire, three districts belonging to a set are evenly distributed among the families stationed in a prefecture, which rank at the level of a town or village. At the rest of the land, as well as the rest of domain, a total of 40 districts make up a prefecture, totalling to 13 royal families residing there at a given time, with this same principle being applied to the higher rings. As such, each prefecture is run a single dominant executive chief of sorts, being elected as the governor of that space tasked with ensuring the peace and the peaceful coexistence between rival families so as to defuse a dispute from escalating into full-blown war. Overall, due to the drastic size of the empire, this system was integrated to help establish the numerous parts of the province into a more organized system, subdividing them in the form of cities, towns, and villages in and outside the border. In terms to the living style that the residents have as citizens, it closely follows the same architecture similar to Eastern Asia, having most of their homes built using wooden structures carved from the surrounding forest, elevating the entire home upward with a firm arching form along the base. The majority of these homes come equipped with tiled roofs, typically made from the stone, while using sliding doors as a means to come in and out of their homes. To support the walls and arching roof, they employ several wooden beams along the inner areas of the house, thus giving the roof their signature outward pointing curve, constituting half the size of the whole edifice. Starting at the first prefecture, most of the homes and buildings appear rather normal looking or plain in design, serving only the base function of housing the empire’s citizens, nothing more, even sporting slums or impoverished buildings along the lower ringed areas. The interior design is characterized as a rather humble home, with most of them sporting 1-2 rooms inside, with citizens possessing a higher salary living in moderately better conditions. Unlike these building, most businesses or facilities and factories owned by the empire are kept in tip-top condition, being primed to run for years, single handedly being insured by the government to remain functioning. However, deeper in the empire, higher up the mountain, the construction design undergoes significant changes the higher one goes through each prefecture—starting at the 8th prefecture, the architecture takes a dramatic turn in terms of outlook and design purposes, focusing more on visual appeal that is matched only by the interior. Placing more emphasis on art and culture, the buildings sport higher quality building materials, even employing the use of timber framework to add an extra layer of support, something that is not seen on the buildings used on the lower rings. Being many times larger, the buildings at the start of this area and onward emphasizes on royalty and grand luxury for its inhabitants, making it the living space for the empire’s nobles, high ranking military officers, and influential officials. Sculpted by some of the greatest artisans, each building were given the architectural work to make it more beautiful and attractive, while at the same time being constructed to withstand the passage of time as much as the harsh conditions standing near the top of the mountain. As a series of buildings built exclusively for nobility, only the very strongest of families tasked with watching over the more important prefectures are entitled to special privileges that merits them exquisite housing in the higher rings; on the other hand, resident that have been known to contribute to the empire, either by citizens who are industrious and clever laboring people have been known to be given a special place in this area. As a common staple, the size extended to measure at least a small private residence of significant size, providing a large complex courtyard complete with a garden and several extra buildings equivalent to a large mansion. Organization Government Ruling Style With the unorthodox nature of the empire’s founding, along with how it is run by numerous groups of people, Han is run following its own type of government that is not based on the basic conventions used in other kingdoms, choosing instead to place more emphasis on the concept of feudalism. By definition, it is described as a combination of legal and military customs, structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. In this instances, this rule applies to those in power, building an empire that basis one’s rule on how much influence one has in the form of influence and strength found in one’s family, hence encouraging the social of one another supremacy. By following the rules of “survival of the fittest”, it facilitates who the dominant force is among the empire’s royal ranks, thus creating a chain-of-command to better enabling the numerous factions to follow a single faction leader in a given prefecture. This in turn has been used to choose the most dominant figures in the empire and placing them in key positions to serve the emperor at a better extent. However, with such a warrior-like mentality being applied to the empire’s government style, it gives those that are prolific in the domain an ambitious attitude toward rising in the empire's latter, often resulting most of the noble families to use backhanded means to raise their social standing, either by bribing government officials, dominating the territories of rival clans, or performing favors on the behalf of the royal council, effectively earning favor with the emperor. Founded by numerous clans of warriors, many of their traditions and values still remain after centuries since its founding, using a set of laws and military obligations among the warrior nobility that are followed universally by all the clans, ranging from simple bylaws to keep the clans in check, to basing itself around the three key concepts of lords, vassals and land of influence that make up the empire as a whole. As such, the population can be separated into three estates of the realm: the nobility, which consists of the clans, the clergy, representing the religion and holy figures, and the peasantry designated to work and serve those higher on food chain. For the most part, those that stand at the peak of the empire’s society are typically those that possesses the highest legal and economic power that is represented in the form of a title or rank in the Han nobility, hence supporting that title with all manner of economic and social benefits, such as owning additional land or greater influence in regards to labor, in kind, or, on rare occasions, in the form of coin and monetary goods. The way that power is distributed is naturally done so by equally giving it within a small number of individuals, indicting these individuals among a special group that are distinguished with by their nobility, wealth, family ties, education or corporate, religious and military control. Clans that fall under this category are often given the privilege of participating directly with the government, giving these few prominent families enough pull to secure themselves a position in the royal council, passing this position of influence from one generation to the next. By context, the Han Empire can be seen to relying on public obedience or oppression by “right of strength” to enable the stronger, more gifted individuals to make a name for themselves. This defines their society to be ruled or controlled by what clan you are born in and how influential it is that establishes one’s place and role they’ll play in the empire, either as a servant, noble, or militant officer. However, being more militaristic, it places a great deal of significant emphasis on the militant power and value that soldiers have when joining the royal battalion, enforcing their role as contributors to the protection and service to the realm. Emperor When choosing an emperor, the previous conventional government laws and characteristics do not apply to the selection of the next ruler, they are however chosen in one of two ways: voting selection or trial by fire. Breaking all of the other rules and regulations. The process of selecting an emperor is exempt from any and all conventional restrictions that would normally apply to those. For the first method of selection, the only way for an emperor to be selected via through the voting process is if a single individual from one of the families or citizen is unanimously chosen by all 120 clans that comprise the totality of the Kingdom of Han’s nobility. However, since most of them focus solely on their own self-interest and are mostly egoistic in nature, this choice in selecting an emperor has rarely ever been implemented in the past. As such, the second method has always been the preferred method of succession to the kingdom's throne. Hierarchy Notable Locations Known Affiliates Kingdom of Daedalus Trivia *The Kingdom of Han draws inspiration from Asia, drawing several parallels with Chinese and Japanese customs and architecture. *Inspired by the Kushan Empire Category:Empire Category:Locations Category:Location Category:Han Empire